How to publish a PDF file stored in Google Drive on a Google Sites?

Question

I published a Google Sites webpage for anybody to access it with links to PDF files (presentations for my classes).

Unfortunately, anybody who tries to download the PDF files needs special permission from me. This happened because the PDF files are stored in my Google Drive account.

I'd like to allow anybody to download it without any special permissions from me. I want to share these files with the world, I don't want to bother sending share invitations around. So far, I did not find any way around this. I could try to insert the file directly from the drive option on the side panel in Google Sites, but that doesn't seem to work inside a text box. Creating a subpage is an option, but it seems awkward. The instructions I've seen on the web seem outdated.

I think there's some simple solution I'm overlooking.

Answer 1

• go to your Drive - https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive
• locate that PDF file
• right-click it and select Share
• click on Advanced
• click on Change...
• select one of the On - ... options
• under Access: Anyone (no sign-in required) select your Can ... preference
• hit the Save button
• make sure that last checkbox is un-ticked

• click on the Done button

  

Answer 2

The PDF needs to have "link sharing" turned on. The simplest way to do this on a computer is to select the file in drive.google.com, then click on the share icon: , and click on "Get shareable link":

Alternatively, on Android, find the file in the Google Drive app, tap the three dots, then tap on the "Link sharing off" option, to turn link sharing on: